OpenGL Game Development Mailing List: Frequently Asked Questions
Maintainer: Tom Hubina (tomh@3dgamedev.com - ICQ# 1708822)
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Version: .94.1
Last Updated: 7-28-99
This is a sneaky update. I messed some things up with version .94
(section 9.13 was missing, and a few items I was supposed to add got
droped).
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Changed items this posting (|):
1.02 Added archive info
1.05 Added algorithm mailing list info
3.05 Added link to the OpenGL-Java FAQ
5.02 Changed wording slightly to be more accurate
5.03 Added info
6.01 Added info
7.01 Added info
7.02 Added info
8.01 Changed code for getting info about screen width / height
9.07 Added more info about multi-texture techniques. Added link.
A.01 Added links to OpenGL books online.
A.03 Updated link to Dave Eberly's site
A.04 Updated ISBN/Edition info for Procedural Elements book
New items this posting (+):
1.06 Where can I get examples for OpenGL?
5.05 Why doesn't rendering to multiple windows under Win32 (or
MFC) work.
9.13 How do I use Extensions?
9.14: How do I draw a mouse cursor on a 3dfx Voodoo1/Voodoo2
card? How do I draw a custom mouse pointer using OpenGL?
9.15: How did those guys at ID software make it so you could
pick your OpenGL driver?
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This document can be freely distributed, but links back to the
main page (as referenced in Subject 1.04) are preferred. All
source code examples contained herein are to be considered in the
Public Domain.
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Table of Contents
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1. General Information
1.01: The OpenGL Game Development Mailing List
| 1.02: Are the postings to the mailing list archived?
1.03: The purpose of this FAQ?
1.04: How can I get this FAQ?
| 1.05: Where can I find useful info on graphics algorithms?
+ 1.06: Where can I get examples for OpenGL?
2. OpenGL Implementations
2.01: Microsoft OpenGL
2.02: SGI OpenGL
2.03: Vendor Specific OpenGL Ports and Miniports
2.04: 3DFXGL
2.05: What is MESA?
2.06: What is GLUT?
2.07: What is GameGLUT?
2.08: What is Fahrenheit?
3. Programming Environments and OpenGL
3.01: Visual C++
3.02: Borland C++
3.03: Delphi
3.04: Visual Basic
| 3.05: Java
4. OpenGL as a rasterization only API
4.01: Why use OpenGL as a rasterization-only API?
4.02: Is there a performance hit for doing this?
4.03: How do I set up OpenGL matrix stack for rastrization-only?
4.04: What about clipping?
4.05: What about the perspective divide?
4.06: Fog
4.07: Is there some sample code to do this?
5. Rendering Problems
5.01: Why is my fog/lighting/textures not working correctly?
| 5.02: My objects appear to be "fighting" in the z-buffer.
| 5.03: Why doesn't my texture appear?
5.04: After calling glRotate() a few times I end up rotating around
the wrong axis. Why?
+ 5.05: Rendering to multiple windows under Win32 (or MFC) doesn't
work.
6. Hardware Acceleration
| 6.01: How do I determine if I'm getting hardware acceleration under
Windows NT/95/98?
6.02: Why am I not getting hardware acceleration?
7. Picking/Selection
| 7.01: How do I use OpenGL's Selection Buffer?
| 7.02: What are some other methods for picking/selection?
8. Full Screen Rendering
| 8.01: How do I open a full screen window?
8.02: How do I change resolution under Windows NT/95/98?
9. Miscellaneous
9.01: What is the best way to draw text?
9.02: What is the best way to draw 2D overlays?
9.03: Should I use OpenGL's matrix routines for all my matrix math?
9.04: How do matrixes work?
9.05: What are Quaternions?
9.06: What are BSP Trees?
| 9.07: What are light maps and how do I use them in OpenGL?
9.08: How do I load a .BMP file into a texture map?
9.09: Can I mix OpenGL and DirectX?
9.10: How do I access the frame/depth/texture memory directly?
9.11: How do I use OpenGL for Collision Detection?
9.12: What is the best card for running OpenGL under Windows NT/95/98?
9.13: How do I use extensions?
+ 9.14: How do I draw a mouse cursor on a 3dfx Voodoo1/Voodoo2
card? How do I draw a custom mouse pointer using OpenGL?
+ 9.15: How did those guys at ID software make it so you could
pick your OpenGL driver?
Appendices
A. General References
| A.01: OpenGL Online Links
A.02: OpenGL Specific Books
| A.03: General Computer Graphics Online Links
| A.04: General Computer Graphics Books
A.05: Game Development Online Links
A.06: Game Development Books
B. Contributors
B.01: How can you contribute to this FAQ?
B.02: Contributors. Who made this all possible.
Search e.g. for "Section 2" to find that section.
Search e.g. for "Subject 2.04" to find that item.
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Section 1. General Information
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Subject 1.01: The OpenGL Game Development Mailing List
"This list is being provided as a service to the 3D game development
community to help promote OpenGL as a viable and exciting way to
program 3D entertainment titles. Discussion of game programming
techniques and issues using OpenGL is the primary goal of this list!
Since so much of the installed base consists of Intel PCs running
Win32 platforms, the emphasis will probably be on that environment and
C/C++. However, there are many other interesting platforms out there,
and any discussion relating to OpenGL programming on those platforms
is welcome! For instance, OpenGL programming in Java may well become
a hot topic soon. Another thing to keep an eye on is OpenGL support
in Apple's forthcoming Rhapsody OS.
While the emphasis of this list is on game programming, general OpenGL
programming information and examples are welcome as well. This is
intended as a resource for all levels of OpenGL programmers, from
beginner to expert. Other topics that are appropriate to the list
include OpenGL device and driver quality, OpenGL benchmarking, and
other real-world issues involved in doing OpenGL development. General
topics relating to programming 3D games are also welcome.
There are a few things that aren't desired on the list. The ongoing
religious war between OpenGL and Direct3D is best left somewhere else
(rec.games.programmer is a likely candidate ;-). Actively promoting
other APIs besides OpenGL on this list is discouraged. General
programming questions (i.e. "which is better a pointer or an array?")
are also best taken elsewhere. Some of these topics will inevitably
creep onto the list, but let's try to keep the discussion civil and
technical." - OpenGL Game Development List Charter
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